Christmas Nails

Since some years I celebrate Christmas twice per year - it was weird in the beginning, but then I realised that two times more wishes and Xmas dinners and pleasant moments is just better than one : ) So I'm publishing a Christmas post today too : ) 

For me the main Christmas colours are red, gold and a bit of green. A bit of green will follow later and today I'll stick to traditional red+gold. As a base I painted Milani Red Sparkle, a gorgeous red glitter. Very opaque - you can get away with 1 coat already (I applied 2 just for longevity). 

Milani Red Sparkle dries with satin-matte effect, which I rather like. I usually wear it for a day as it is, and then add a layer of top coat. Compare the finish below... 

                                without top coat..                                              and with top coat.

I assume you see the difference : ) Covered with a top coat, this polish transforms into a completely different story: the glitter particles look as if they are lit form within - very beautiful effect. 

And then I decided to turn red sparkles to wrapped gifts nails by stamping them with CG 2030 and plates m59 and BM-317. Not the best result ever, but looks ok from far away : )

And finally, to all those who celebrate it today:

Dance Legend #170 Thermo

What is in common between

                               this polish...                                                               and this polish?

Well, a lot, since it's ONE polish - Dance Legend #170. 

As you could guess, it's one of those supercreative inventions - a polish that changes colour depending on the temperature. I absolutely love this type of polishes, and in case of Dance Legend #170, I also love the drastic change and the colour range - from red to dark aubergine.

So, when the hands are warm, the shade looks like this:

And when the hands are cold, it becomes like this:

But the most fun are the colour transitions!

And my favourite state is when the nail tips are dark, and the rest is red. Looks like a fancy gradient.

The formula of the polish is tricky though. The polish is goopy and  you have to take care of layering it without bald spots. But the biggest draw is the brush: too thick and harsh for my taste, it just doesn't allow to draw a nice cuticle line. The finish is somewhat satin, which I don't really like, so you'll need a top coat for the gloss - but hey, for this kind of special polish I'm ready to tolerate whatever tricks to layer it properly : ) On all photos you see 2 coats of polish + top coat.

Despite the speciality and the original beauty of the polish, I decided to go further and stamped in with dark aubergine colour Yes Love #504 and Cheeky Plates CH44.

Dance Legend #170 is definitely one of the most "interactive" polishes in my stash, and by far the favourite one of my bf, who couldn't stop playing with the colour change : )
Special thanks to Antallex for sending me this beauty : ) 

Red Holo Perfection

If you happen to search for a perfect red holographic and if you prefer scattered holos over linear ones - this is THE ONE, Ozotic Pro #621. When you look at it, it's like fire burning inside the red shade... I am wearing it for the 4th time already (says a lot!), and just yesterday there was a perfect weather to swatch it in all its beauty. First set of pictures are taken in the sun:

Now I MUST tell you, how awesome it is in terms of application: first of all, it's a one-coater (!!), it applies like butter and has a thin brush so that you won't have to clean up anything afterwards. I usually hate red and dark colours because you have to be extra careful with application, but this is totally not the case. Normally I wear 1 coat of Ozotic for a day, and then apply the second coat next day to prolong the manicure. Oh, I almost forgot: it dries in a snap!! You paint&you go, that's it. Surely, it's one of the stars in terms of formula in my stash.

For objectivity reasons I also took some pictures in the shade, to show that it does not become a boring red even then, and preserves its depth and beauty.

Even the photographer aka bf was in the mood to help me with the pics yesterday : )

*The polish was provided by the piCture pOlish company without any terms or conditions. Be sure that my opinion about the product was not influenced by anything or anyone apart from my alter ego or imaginary friends :) 

Bongiorno, ladies!! Be prepared for a long post loaded with pictures, it's my way to make up for irregular blogging :)

Recently I thought that it's unfair that I haven't shown you one of my top polishes - Zoya Andi, although I used it 3 (!) times already and even did one tape mani with it. So, why do I like it so much? Because it's a great red shade (although it's 1 tone brighter than my "ideal red" is), very workable formula and.. 1 coater. Red-y To Go should be it's name or smth like that : ) 

Yes yes, one coat! :) Warning: in 2 coats it looks darker. And chips less, of course.

 

And because (as you might know already) I adore black+red combination, I stamped it with black roses pattern:

What do you think? Too banal or rather ok? =)

Zurich...

...is one of the places on my "To Visit" list. Switzerland is so close but I've never been there, such a shame.. I just didn't have a good reason to go I guess. So far I only have a cup with a Swiss flag and a Swiss-themed nail polish - OPI From A To Z-urich. Bought partly because of its name, partly because of the gorgeous colour and partly because it was on sale, it became a decent member of my stash.

Dark berry/wine red colour, glossy and opaque in 2 coats, quite longlasting - this polish has a lot of positive sides. OPI brushes is something that I will never be able to like, but this is another story. 

Again, an attempt to show how I was wearing it with one of my fav T-shirts, not so successful. I'll improve, I promise : ) The last photo is taken indoors with electric light, just not to be misleading, all the rest are taken under natural day light. 

Some Autumn Nails

OPI Malaga Wine was one of those polishes I wasn't really planning to buy, but suddenly hit a good price on ebay (3 or 5 euros with shipping!), and after trying it I still can't really decide if I'm happy having it or not. The colour is wonderful, wine red and glass glossy finish, but the rest... Application was pain in the ass, it was my first OPI and now after trying a few more I can state: I HATE THE BRUSH. Let all OPI fans forgive me, but hey, how can you control it?? I would never call my nails small or narrow, but this brush is huge for them! Grrr. Another thing - Malaga Wine chips easily. 

Okay, firstly just some swatches of the polish: 

And now something more interesting: Malaga Wine topped with Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure! 

Besides the burning flame, Hidden Treasure on red is associated with autumn leavesin my mind. Impossible not to like this combination. I got many questions and many compliments from my friends :)

What do you think about these polishes with "mica effect"? Do you own any?